ironhorse_iv
It's a favorite. Directed by Elliott Nugent, My Favorite Brunette is the second of Bob Hope's 'My Favorite' series of films. While, it's doesn't serve a sequel or a prequel to any of the other 'My Favorite' films: 1942's My Favorite Blonde and 1951's My Favorite Spy. It's still pretty good, in their own right. While, 'My Favorite' film chain is not as famous as the 'Road to—wherever' series of Bob Hope's films; I found these series of film to be a lot more clever in its writing compare to Bob Hope & Bing Crosby's 'The Road' films. Scripted by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose, the movie tells the story of children photographer Ronnie Jackson (Bob Hope), whom secretly fantasizes about being a private detective. When a lovely baroness, Carlotta (Dorothy Lamour), actually mistakes him for one and asks him to help locate her missing husband, Baron Montay (Frank Puglia), Ronnie finds himself madly in love, and agree to assist. What comes next is, a series of danger, comedy, and misfortunes, as Ronnie find out, that maybe pretending to be a private eye wasn't a good idea. Without spoiling the film, the movie has a lot of cool twist and turns, that make this film, very watchable, even in today's high standards. While, there are a few things that seem a little dated and corny, for the most part, the jokes were really good hits to the funny bone. Bob Hope could always be relied upon to bring us the laughs with even the most average script but in this film he excels as he is given some great material to work with and certainly makes the most of it, due to his great timing. A good example of this, is the game of golf with somebody who isn't all there. That was indeed, the highlight of the film. I love all Bob Hope's comebacks and witty wisecracks, one liners. I love, how he broke down the fourth wall in the middle of a movie and talk directly to the audience. That was pretty rare to see in, those days. Another is the several in-jokes scattered through the movie about big actors playing minor roles, aim at both his friends, Alan Ladd & Bing Crosby, whom cameo in the film. I like how he deconstruct the film noir genre, but references other detective films. I love how the film is almost a spoof on the hardboiled detective fiction movies of Director John Huston's 1941's movie, The Maltese Falcon and Director Stuart Heisler, the Glass Key. You can see a lot of authors Raymond Chandler & Dashiell Hammett's detective novels in this film. He even made fun of some of the genre funny tropes and often over-used film clichés. The voice over narration is spot on, making fun of that, type of filmmaking. Even sexual innuendos got past the radar of censorships, due to how clever hidden, they were. A good example of this, is the house of 'Joes'. Still, there were a bit, over acting. I couldn't get behind Bob Hope's character awkward love subplot with the baroness. It seem a bit forced. Dorothy Lamour was pretty good in her role, as the straight girl to Hope's funnyman. She indeed makes a great femme fatale with her crazy look. While, she might be, out there, she was very easy on the eyes. She was so good, that I often mistake the actress for Oscar Winner, Bettie Davis, best known taking crazy women roles. Like Hope's character would say, about Lamour's character, "Nutty as a fruitcake, and with all that beautiful frosting". Dorothy Lamour did a good job. The supporting cast is just as amazing. I love how Lon Chaney Jr. seems to be channeling Lennie from 1939's Of Mice and Men. While, his character is bit, way dumb down. He was lovable & charming. I also have to give mad props to Peter Lorre as Kismet. Peter Lorre in full on evil henchmen mode. I love the way, he cover his tracks, using humor as a way to get out of sticky environment. His character is a knife throwing, light-fingered henchman who Ronnie amusingly calls "Cuddles", and he's awesome. The movie is also full of pretty good car chases. While, the movie doesn't have much action in it, there were enough intense suspense sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat. Still, there were some faults. One is the confusing plot. I don't believe, the movie does a really good job, explaining the exposition, well. It doesn't help that Bob Hope's character isn't bright or well-observation. The movie moves in such a clumsy, clutch like matter. Another fault of the film is how the film entered the public domain in the USA in 1975, due to the copyright claimant's failure to renew the copyright registration. Since it's in the public domain, it would mean that anybody can copy off the original film footage, which hasn't aged well. This would, make some copies of 'My Favorite Brunette' very terrible to watch. The quality of some prints, are so full of dirt, it's hard to figure out, what's going on. Others, could be so dark and inferior that it distracts from enjoying the film. The good things about it, being public domain, is the fact that it isn't that hard to find. It has been widely available on home video, with most copies varying in alright picture and sound quality to pretty bad. The movie is also, easy to find on Youtube and other media sharing sources. Overall: While, the movie isn't as popular as the previous film, its sure is a lot better than 1951's My Favorite Spy. Hope's comedic timing could not have been better. I don't know, why they never made, another one of these films. I was really hoping for a film called, 'My Favorite Redhead.' Anyways, I do recommended watching this film. It's worth it.
dougdoepke
Lively Hope romp. He's a ditzy PI who couldn't find his shoes in a lighted closet. Good thing he's got Dottie Lamour to help him out of jams. Trouble is he's got to get a map before the bad guys do. Otherwise who knows what will happen. And get a load of the gang. Looks like Columbia turned out all their thick ears for this one, including the sly little Lorre. And what's with his name, "Kismet", when I thought that was a Broadway musical. But I especially like Chaney Jr. as the little brain in the big body. Sounds like he's doing a version of Lenny from Of Mice and Men (1939), with even a reference to "a rabbit". Funny how Chaney can be likable no matter how menacing he looks.Surprise, surprise, Hope's gag lines fly fast and furious. So if you don't chuckle at this one, there's another coming right up. Hope really has his cowardly alter-ego down pat. Heck, he even plays to the camera now and then, just to make sure we're not getting too serious. But oh my gosh, putting him on death row in the beginning had me really worried that his bad jokes had finally done him in. But not to worry, he's still got a long-term contract to do movies as entertaining as this one. Which thankfully, he does.
Spikeopath
My Favorite Brunette is directed by Elliott Nugent and written by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose. It stars Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Frank Puglia, Lon Chaney Junior, Peter Lorre, John Hoyte and Charles Dingle. Music is by Robert Emmett Dolan and cinematography by Lionel Lindon. Ronnie Jackson (Hope) is on Death Row and tells reporters how he come to be there. He was a baby photographer who dreamed of becoming a hard boiled detective like his heroes, Humphrey Bogart, or Dick Powell, or even Alan Ladd. One day he gets mistaken for a detective in the office across the hall by a mysterious brunette in distress (Lamour) and gets plunged into a murder mystery. Blood! And it ain't mine, it's red! A wonderful film noir spoof that finds Hope in his element as the writing allows the gags to come thick and fast in almost scattergun explosions. This is as good a place as any to start for potential newcomers to Hope's films, the bonus here is that the back up cast is impressive as well. With Hope's chemistry with Lamour (gorgeous and hard looking) set in stone (they had already worked together at least seven times by this point), this is complimented by the likes of Lorre and Chaney who mimic past performances in more serious fare, while Alan Ladd pops in for a delightful little cameo to further nudge and wink to film noir iconography. The best scenes come at a gloomy mansion and at a Sanitarium (seriously enjoy a brilliant game of golf here), and Hope's narration throughout the film only furthers the comedy gold on offer. 8/10
